Juan Alanis far ahead in election count against Jessica Self for Modesto-area Assembly seat
Republican Assemblyman Juan Alanis held a commanding lead in his campaign for a second term in the California Legislature.
Wednesday morning, Alanis was ahead with 57% of the vote to 43% for Democrat Jessica Self. His lead widened to more than 12,000 votes, according to unofficial results from the California Secretary of State’s Office.
Alanis and Self are competing in the 22nd Assembly District, which includes Modesto, Turlock, Patterson and Newman, as well as a small part of Merced County.
Alanis, a retired Stanislaus County sheriff’s sergeant, defeated Self in the 2022 election for the 22nd Assembly District seat.
In his first term, the Republican was part of a conservative groundswell that pushed for tougher penalties for retail theft and fentanyl trafficking. He has vocally supported Proposition 36.
Self, an attorney for Stanislaus County child support services, campaigned to improve the lives of Central Valley families that struggle to pay their bills, and promised to work for increased school funding and good-paying jobs to rebuild the middle class.
Alanis said Tuesday night he was confident of victory. “We are very excited for these early returns and happy the district has been responsive in doing that,” he said. “I am happy with the work my team has done in the first two years.”
The assemblyman said he expects to introduce some public safety and agriculture bills in the Legislature in 2025.
Alanis raised $551,470 for his re-election campaign this year and reported spending $387,477, leaving a balance of $455,078.
Self was outspent by her opponent. Her campaign raised $101,385 in contributions and spent $138,218, with a balance of $7,743 on Oct. 24. The accounting of contributions and campaign expenditures in Assembly races was not complete for the 2024 election.
Alanis has said his priorities for a second term are continued support for law enforcement and school districts, but he also wants to address a regional nursing shortage and declining access to quality health care in the Central Valley.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 9:12 PM.
